IN THE KITCHEN

STRAWBERRIES are a typical summer treat and when in season the taste is really hard to beat. They do not ripen after picking and so the imported strawberries are often hard with an undeveloped flavour. Look for berries that are bright red in colour and unblemished. Make sure you have a good sniff too, the stronger the scent the better the quality.

Minted Pea on toast Nibblers

This recipe is a great summer canape but also works really well as a starter too.

Minted pea on toast nibblers

75g roughly chopped pancetta

15g butter

400g frozen peas

1tsp mint jelly, optional

small handful of mint leaves

100g creme fraiche

1 small baguette, sliced

1tbsp oil

75g parmesan

extra virgin olive oil, to serve

1 Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and cook the pancetta until crisp, about 3-4min. Set aside. Wipe the pan clean and heat the butter. Add the peas and cook for a further 4min, adding the mint jelly for the 1min of cooking time.

2 Put the peas, mint leaves and creme fraiche into a bowl and whizz with a hand blender or in a food processor until smooth. Season to taste. Leave to cool.

3 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) mark 4. Arrange baguette slices on two baking sheets, brush both sides with oil and season. Bake for 15min, until golden, turn the slices halfway through cooking.

4 Spread the pea puree over the baguette slices, top with the pancetta and parmesan shavings. Drizzle over a little extra virgin olive oil and serve immediately.

Summer Chicken Stew

Serves 4

Summer chicken stew

1tbsp olive oil

8 chicken thighs

2tbsp plain flour

2 red peppers, chopped into bite sized chunks

500g Jersey royal potatoes, halved

200ml white wine

300ml chicken stock

200g full fat soft cheese

200g each peas and sweetcorn

small handful freshly chopped basil

1 Heat the oil in a large pan. Dust the chicken with the flour and season. Fry over a high heat, until golden. Do this in batches if necessary. Set aside.

2 Add the peppers to the pan and cook for 2 mins. Return the chicken to the pan, pour in the white wine, simmer for 1min. Add the chicken stock and season well. Cover the pan and simmer for 30min, adding the potatoes after 10min, until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes are soft. Stir in the soft cheese, peas, sweetcorn and basil and simmer, uncovered, for a further 5min. Serve immediately with a little salad and crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

Zoe’s Tip

Prepare yourself and chop the basil ahead of time, pop into a small dish and cover with a piece of damp kitchen roll.

Iced Berries with White Hot Chocolate Sauce

iced berries with white hot chocolate sauce

Serves 4

400g mixed raspberries, blueberries, blackberries & strawberries

100g white chocolate, roughly chopped

200ml double cream

1/2tsp vanilla bean paste, optional

1 Put the berries onto a tray and freeze for 20min, so they are firmer but not completely frozen.

2 Put the chocolate and cream into a bowl, microwave on high for 1min, opening the door halfway through. If not soft enough, blitz for another 30secs. Add the vanilla and stir to combine.

If your recipe calls for ginger, peel it using a teaspoon instead of a peeler. Scrape the spoon against the skin and it will come straight off. It’s easier and minimises waste.

No more shells

If you see a bit of egg shell in the bowl when cracking eggs, use an empty half of an egg shell to remove it. The shell cuts through the egg white, unlike a teaspoon.

Handy herbs

If you have unwanted herbs left in the fridge, don’t let them go to waste, chop them up and pop into ice cube trays with a little water and freeze. The next time your recipe calls for freshly chopped herbs they’ll be ready and waiting.

Zoë is a trained chef of Leith’s, London, and as well as writing for RURAL magazine’s food pages,she has her own business www.zoes-kitchen.com. Her passion is baking and so she has created a range of pre prepared mixes for you to become the baking king or queen of your own kitchen. Her range includes cookie & brownie mixes, as well as personalised children’s party boxes, making baking a fun activity for the whole family!

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